We had our bathrooms remodeled about 4 years ago with marble, it is not real marble but the type that is made in a factory by mixing different components together like epoxy and poured into a mold. For the first few years everything is ok but we have noticed that where we have the toothbrush holder or soap dish, that underneath the marble is slightly yellow. The color of our marble is white with grey streaks so it is noticeable when you move the holders around. I called the company about this situation and he could not explain why it was doing it but said to just wet sand it and buff it out and we were out of the warranty period. I was curious to know if this type of a marble substitute will yellow normally or if we got ripped off. Either way, has anyone else had this happen and is there a way to remove it, could I wet sand using medium grits up to 2000 and then buff them out, any help will be appreciated.
Mike
Replies
What is the brand? Some of the manufactured solid surfaces have warranty periods of 15 years. Are you saying you called the manufacturer or the fabricator/installer ?
You need to contact the manufacturer.
Rich
I called the place in Dallas and they said that sometimes different chemicals will react with the cultured marble and it could change colors like what it is doing, he said that is normal and not a defect. None of the holders have a rubber bottom, everything that sits on the counters are ceramic or stainless steel. When you move them to clean the sinks is where you can see most of the yellowing. If I had known this material would do that I probably would have done something different as far as material for countertops. I tried to wetsand with 1500 grit and alot of soapy water to act as a lubricant on a small area and it helped some but I did not want to do to much because I was not sure if there was a top coat of a sealer or something. It is solid material about 1/2" thick and I was looking to find a way to clean up the areas without doing any damage, do you think it would be ok to use wet dry sandpaper starting about 600 and going to 1500 or 2000 grit and then use a polish or some type of a clear cost I can use to prevent this from happening again?
Thanks,
Mike - Toolfreak
Look on the botton. If it is a white or gray chalky material then it is cultured marble.If it is solid surface then it will have a similar pattern as the top..
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A-holes. Hey every group has to have one. And I have been elected to be the one. I should make that my tagline.
It is exactly as you described, do you think I can wetsand it up to about 2000 grit and then seal it or just polish it as much as I can?
Mike- Toolfreak
I really don't have any idea..
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A-holes. Hey every group has to have one. And I have been elected to be the one. I should make that my tagline.
I've got 3 of those "cultured marble" tops here, 1 installed. All yellowed, but not as fast as yours.
As an experiment, I did some sanding on one of the uninstalled ones, yellow was only skin deep. Pretty sure the other 2 aren't going into my next house, the original plan when I salvaged them.
Your other choice is to view them like cherry "maturing". Or walnut, when it sun-bleaches. Very few things don't change color. Some a lot faster than others.
PAHS works. Bury it.
If you sand the cultured marble too much, you will sand right through the gel-coat. Is there a rubber pad or something on the bottom of your toothbrush holder? The chemicals in the different types of petroleum products will react to each other.
If the counters are true "solid surface" there is no "gel coat" -- the material is the same all the way through. Some cheapie bathroom counters, however, are just a thin plastic layer over an OSB-like material. These tend to yellow fairly rapidly and will eventually crack and let moisture through to the OSB.
There is no absurdity that human beings will not resort to in order to defend another absurdity. -- Cicero
From his original post, it seems that he is talking about cultured marble, not solid surface.
Yes, cultured marble uses a mold with a spray in gelcoat to form the show surface.Then it is filled with some kind of plaster or cement based mineral filler..
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A-holes. Hey every group has to have one. And I have been elected to be the one. I should make that my tagline.
That's the nature of the beast. Cultured marble yellows. This always happens where it constantly gets wet and where soap is present.
I have tried a poultice (available at stone countertop suppliers) or you can make your own (Google it). They are harder to use on vertical surfaces and need to stay on for a couple of days. This doesn't work all the time, mostly because it still needs to penetrate the gel coat/ protection layer.
Also, you cannot put the poultice on, take a shower and then reapply. It needs to stay on undisturbed for it to work.
Frankie
Flay your Suffolk bought-this-morning sole with organic hand-cracked pepper and blasted salt.
Thrill each side for four minutes at torchmark haut. Interrogate a lemon.
Embarrass any tough roots from the samphire. Then bamboozle till it's al dente with that certain je ne sais quoi.
Arabella Weir as Minty Marchmont - Posh Nosh